In a style reminiscent of Raymond Carver, the stories contained in 'Animal' depict people on the brink of major life change. They stand at crossroads they are often oblivious to; they suck thick air in rooms filled with palpable tension. Leggat's characters often seem captured in a cinematic slo-mo, teetering on the edge of something unknown, heroically resisting the ever-present pull of Fate. It matters little whether the characters take action or refuse to act; life acts for them. The reader is left to wonder: when does "meaning" cease to have meaning? Like travelling a mountain highway at night, what's just around the next bend is never known. The stories in 'Animal' never fail to deliver potent surprises.
"I'm tempted to say it's a slim, distilled masterpiece." Michael Bryson, Underground Book Club
"These quickly unfolding stories are elliptically drawn, tense with action and dark humour. Leggat is a shape-shifting writer" The Globe and Mail
"This immensely rewarding collection is worth picking up" eye weekly
Finalist for the Trillium Book Award
Alexandra Leggat is the author of two previous collections of short fiction, 'Pull Gently, Tear Here' (nominated for the Danuta Gleed First Fiction Award) and 'Meet Me in the Parking Lot', as well as a volume of poetry. Alexandra works as a freelance writer and editor, teaches creative writing classes through Brock University's Continuing Ed Dept, and conducts writing workshops and seminars. Her articles and book reviews have appeared in 'Toro', 'Niagara Life Magazine', 'Celtic Heritage' and 'The Globe and Mail'. She currently lives in Toronto.